Aquitaine Cuffs

The first thing I did as I was picking out the beads, was to test them to see if the crochet hook would fit through the bead holes, and then if I could pull the yarn through.  I found that my size 14 hook wants to split the yarn, if I’m not really careful about pulling the yarn down on the hook to thin it out before sliding the bead over it.  I have a little larger hook that works better, and will pull the yarn through the larger holed cubes, so will probably end up using it for them (the hole in them is sort of diamond shaped, so I turn the bead as I’m pulling  it through, to get it oriented correctly.

My wrist measured 6.5”, and I couldn’t decide which size to knit (I'm exactly between sizes), so I measured about an inch or two up my arm (because the wrist part is knit about 3” long) and found it to be 7.5”.  The pattern says it should stretch up to 1.5”, so I decided to make the middle size which is 7” finished, because I didn’t want the cast of end to end up tight on my arm.  Therefore, I marked up my instructions, underlining all the numbers for the size I’m knitting.  

In the beginning of the instructions it tells you how many beads to put on the “outer” thread of the thread ball, for the beading options.  I’m doing option 1, which calls out four bead types, but in looking at the pattern picture, I only see 3 beads used (I even compared the picture and charts to see which beads were what letter – I think C and D are separated, just because the D beads are put on with the crochet hook and it was easier to chart), and laid out my bead packages on the table A = drops for edging, B = round size 6 seed beads, C and D = cube beads (mine say 3S at the right side of the number on the tube, so I don’t know if they are a bit smaller than yours). 

I laid the packages on the table with A on the left and C/D on the right and then counted out piles on the beading mat in the same order.  Once I knew I had the right number of each one, I started threading the piles of beads onto the thread from right to left, because you need them in the opposite order, so that the A beads can be used first on the edge, as you are casting on, and the others are used later, as you are going up the cuff.  If you look closely, you might notice that there are some cubes that will be on the cuff that will be added in between the seed beads, but those are the ones that we add on the decreases with the crochet hook.  

Before packing it up, I made a little butterfly at the end of the yarn with two half-hitches to secure it, because I don't want to chance losing any beads as it gets moved around in the bag, before I get it cast-on!

Here's my basket, loaded up and ready for knitting....

Figs and Ginger - fabrics found

Yeah!  I managed to find all the fabrics in my stash!!!  So far, I believe I have enough for two twin quilts, and have also pulled out two fabrics that I think may work for the borders, but I'm going to wait to decide on the border fabrics, until I have the center panels complete.

Here's my fabric:

In case you missed my previous post, I'm making the Figs and Ginger pattern from Stack the Deck Revisited, by Karla Alexander, and have invited my readers to quilt-a-long.  I've decided to make two for twin beds that are in the same room, but I'm making one the mirror image of the other, so that the angle of the design can point towards the other bed / nightstand, making a chevron design.  Have you chosen your fabrics yet?

Hydrangea Fair Isle Hat

On the day between classes at Madrona, the weather was beautiful, and I took a drive to the Allyn Knit Shop.  I've always loved the fair isle designs, and have made a couple small stranded projects in the past, but never a true fair isle, and the stranded work was only a small part of the project.  Well, I fell in love with a hat in their shop and the pattern and yarn for it followed me home:-)  I'm practicing knitting with both hands, and it's going slowly (because I only work on it for a few rows at a time), but I think it's coming out ok.

Here is my progress, and the yarns and tools I'm using (and yes, I"m using my bread basket to hold this project:-)):

Pine Needle Basket - the stone

Delighted Hands asked what was in the center of the basket, and since there might be others wondering about it, or the structure of the basket, I thought I should explain more in another blog post.  The centerpiece of the basket is a Dalmation Jasper cabachon, that is glued to faux leather that has a fabric backing, like Pleather.  The first row of pine needles are stitched to the pleather, as close as you can get to the stone, and the spacing of the stitches in that first row radiate out to the edges of the basket, and I know mine isn't perfect, but found it difficult to un-stitch, and it seemed to leave marks.  I kept the basket small, it is quite a bit smaller than the sample that Nadine makes in her video, and I would think that if you were to make a huge basket, you might be able to double the stitches at some point, to keep them from getting too far apart.

Here's a picture from the top:

Pine Needle Basket

Well, I can now say I've made a pine needle basket!  

I've seen some beautiful pine needle baskets, and have been wanting to try one for some time.  A while ago, I bought Nadine Spier's video, that teaches how to make them, using a cabachon, black walnut slice, and other things in the center.  At the time, I didn't have the supplies, and once I did, I didn't have the time to follow the video lesson and make one - until the other day, when I had a few hours and thought it would be a small, quick project.  Ha!  It took me days longer than I thought it would, but I do think it came out ok, especially for a first project!  Will I ever make another?  Only time will tell.  I've decided that for now, it's not for me, although I've saved the supplies, just in case I get the urge to try again, or maybe one of my friends would like to try, you never know:-)  Besides, I've got plenty of other media to keep me busy!

How about a quilt-a-long?

I've been flipping through a stack of books from Martingale, and pulled out two of the Stack the Deck books by Karla Alexander.  I really love her books!

Book review:  The blocks in "Stack the Deck Revisited" are cut and pieced like crazy quilts, but many go beyond, making the crazy piecing only part of a more refined block, or set with other pieces and colored to make them into a very artistic quilt.  When other shapes added, you will end up with a quilt that I imagine will have many asking "how did you do that?"  The color washed quilts like Summer Solstice, Figs and Ginger, and the Scrappy Crazy Quilt Sampler are my favorites, but Goin' Green isn't far behind.  The stack the deck technique is easy and it's always fun to see how the blocks come out!

Yes, some of you may remember that I already have two projects from her books in progress, waiting to be finished, but they are larger projects, but I'm still collecting more fabrics for them (I've decided to enlarge them to Queen and King sizes).  My husband thinks making new quilts for our boy's twin beds has a higher priority, so I have a great excuse to start a new project, and thought some of you might like to quilt along with me!  If you do, I'd love to see your progress and quilt, and if you post it on your blog, I'd love to add a link to it from mine, so that everyone could see your version too!

The first quilt is going to be made from the "Figs and Ginger" pattern that is on p. 42, in "Stack the Deck Revisited", and I'm thinking that it might be fun to make a second that is a mirror image of the first, because I could put the mirror image quilt on the bed to the right of the first, and the diagonal stripes would move up and towards the center, towards the nightstand between the beds.

I usually take my time choosing fabrics, and will start with my fabric stash, hoping to find enough for two quilts (just in case I want to make the second, mirror image one coordinate with the first).  Since the fabrics wouldn't have to bee identical, just the same color families, and you only need 1/ 3 yard of most of the fabrics,  I think I might be able to find all of them right here at home!  Well, off to hunt for fabric!!!

Cardigan Progress

I've been making progress on my green Oatmeal Cardigan, and just like the turtle, it's usually slow, but steady.  This cardigan is worked from the bottom up, and the sleeves are the first parts to be knit.  I thought I had posted this picture, showing the first sleeve, but in searching back through my blog, it seems I forgot:-(  Anyways, here is the start of the first sleeve:

And here are both sleeves completed and being held on some yarn, while I work on the lower body.

I've knit about 9", and when I get to 14", or as long as I want the sweater up to the underarms, I'll get to  connect the sleeves, and continue on up to the neck.